Electric switch.



H. R. BIGKFORD.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AP'R.5,1912.

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Z .Z 1 1- w W UNITED STATES rATEN. OFFICE.

' HENRY nnicxnonn on mon'rnnnv, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. 1

Specification Letters fatenti i Dec, 17,1912.

Application" filed April 5,1912. Serial no. esasa To all whom it may co'nce rn Be it known that'I, HEN Y B. B onronn,

a citizen of the United States, residing'at.

'Monterey, in the county" of .Monterey and State of California,v have invented new and useful Improvementsin Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric switch and particularly. pertains to a mechanism for operating same.

It isthe object of this invention to pro-- switches now generally in use and may be. attached to the ordinary knife switch with very little alteration of the'switch structure. A further object is to provide a device of the above character whichjis simple in construction, eflicient'in operation and capable of being manufactured at small cost.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter m re fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the invention, showing the switch in its open position; Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the switch in its closed position. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection on the line X-QX, Fig, 2.

In the drawings, A represents the movable arm of an ordinary knife switch, which arm is pivoted at B and is adapted to be forced edgeways between spring contacts C to coupie to an electric circuit, as 18 well known; the arm A connecting with one terminal of a conductor D leading from any suitable source .of electrical energy, and the contacts 0 connecting with one terminal of a con-" ductor E leading to any desired point of application of the power, or vice'versa. The present invention resides n ga-meehw.

remote point to throw the switch arm in and out of engagement with the Contact plates 0. This mechanism is here shown, as consisting of an arm 2, one end of which is pivoted at plate 5, the other end of which is connected to the outer end of the switch arm A, means for normally holding the arm 2 in its outermost position, and means, actuated from a most position. a 7-- The connection between 'the'outer end of the arm 2 andtheswitch arm- A comprises an adjustable link 6 formed of a pairof flat threaded in one of the plates and extend through longitudinally extending slots 8 slotted plate is here shownyas pivotally con and the other plate carrying the screws 7 is pivotally connected at 9' to a boss or yoke 10 mounted on'the outer end of theswitc'h arm A. By forming the link 6 as just described, its length maybe varied to suit, by

gitudinally in relation to' each other and binding them screws 7.

normally holdingthe arm 2 in its outermost position consists of a reciprocable bar'll, slidably mounted in a guidebea'ring 12 carried on a pair of brackets or standards 13 on the plate 5, which bar has 'a yoke 14 on its outer end pivotally connected to the arm 2 .by means of a bolt 15 and has a helical bearing between the yoke 14 and the beararm 2 in their outermost positions. The outer ends of the bolt 15 pass through and are guided in oppositely disposedlongitudinally extending slots 17- formed in the brackets 13. I

The means for moving the arm 2 into its innermost position and retaining it there in opposition to the spring 16, so as tothrow the switch arm A into e'ngagement with the 3 to a post or bracket 4 mounted on a base formed in the other of the plates.) The.

nected at 9 to the outer end of thearm 2 together, by means of, the" The means here shown as employed for.-

expansible spring 16 wound thereon and- I nism for operating the switch arm A from a distance for holding the arm in'its in'ner- I plates placed face to face and connected together by means ofv screws 7, which are sliding the plates of which it is formedlon ing 12 to normally retain'the bar 11 and the spring contacts C and hold it securely against displacement, is here shown as con- 'structed as follows:

Mounted on and connecting the outer ends 'of' the brackets 13 is a bolt 18, on which a cam-plate 19 is revolubly mounted. This cam-plate is in the form of an ellipse, in I outline, wlth lts ends squared, and. 1S mount signed to be engaged by a pawl 21 pivotally mounted at 2 on a lever arm 28, as will presently be described.

The lever arm 23 is loosely'pivotedat one end of the bolt 18 adjacent the ratchet 20 and normally extends in a downward direction inthe position shown in Fig. 1, by reason of its weight. The pawl 21 isof such shape and len th that its upper end will be disposed adjacent the under side of the teeth on the ratchet 20, when the lever arm 23 is in its lowermost position, in readiness to engage the tooth when the lever arm 23 is moved upwardly on its pivotal mounting.

Attached to the outer end of the lever arm 23 is a cord or cable 21, which passes over a direction pulley 25 and is carried to any desired point convenientto reach.- In operation,-when it is desired to either open or close the electrical switch, the cord 24 is pulled, so as to raise the outer end of the lever arm 23 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in full lines in "Fig. 2. I This action causes the pawl. 21 to engage a tooth on the ratchet 20 and, as the lever arm 23 moves upward, causes the ratchet 20 and the cam-plate 19 thereon, to rotate on the bolt 18 one-fourth of a revolution; the lever arm 23 gravitating back to its normal depending position when the cord 2 1 is released.

\Vhen the cam-plate 19 is in the positron shown in Fig. 1, with one of its curved sides on its short diameter in contact with the arm 2, the latter will be situated in it-s 0utermost position, by reason of the actlon of spring 16, thereby holding the switch arm A in its outermost or open position. By

' turning the cam-plate one-fourth of a revolution, the curvededge thereof adjacent the lever 2 will bearv against the latter, and cause it to move inwardly in opposition to the spring 16, thereby advancingthe switch arm A between the spring contact members C to close the switch. When the cam-plate 19 has been rotated one-fourth of a revolution, one of the squared ends thereof will be positioned holdingthe lever arm 2 andthe switch arm The pawl 23'. 1s linnte adjacent the lever arm 2, thereby j conibmatlon, a switch operating device, a

A in their innermost positions; the flat contact between the lever arm and the camplate preventing the latter from traveling beyond center.

A stop or abutment 26 on one of the brackets 13 acts to limit the upward movement of the lever arm 23 and prevents the cam-plate 19 from being rotated more than the required distance. The cord 24:, on being released, allows the lever arm 23 to gravitate back to its normal position shown in 'Fig. 1, as before stated; the pawl 21 falling below the next tooth on the ratchet 20 in readiness for another operation, which is repeated when it is desired to open the switch. In thelatter case, the ca1n-disk 19' is rotating from the position shown in Fig.

2 to that shown in Fig. 1, will release the arm 2; the spring 16 acting to quickly restore the arm to its outermost position, thereby throwing the switch arm A out of engagement with the contact plate Cv with great "speed and thus reducing the spark at this point to a minimum.

movement by means of a stop 27 formed thereon and positioned to engage the underside of the lever-arm 23, thereby preventing the pawl from being displaced.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a switch operating mecha nism which may be easily and quickly operated from a distance, either to throw the switch on or ofii, and which mechanism is simple and durable and not liable to get i '100 out of order. 1

It is manifest that the device may be positioned horizontally, as'well as vertically; onlythe. latter arrangement being shown in the drawings, and it is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts de' scribed without departirig from the spirit and scope of my. invention.

Having thus, described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isi d in its backward 1. The combination in a switch operating.

device, of a rockable member attached to a switch, resilient means opposing said rockable member to retain the switch in an open position, means for actuating the rockable. member inopposition to said resilient means to close the switch, including a revoluble cam plate, means on said plate for holding the rockable member in its innermost'position, and means for rotating said cam plate, consisting of aratchet formed integralv with the cam plate, a pawl engageable with the ratchet, and a lever arm, fulcrumed oirthe center of rotation of the cam-plate on which the pawl is mounted.

2. In a device of the class describedin lever, an adjustable link for operatively connecting said lever With the switch to be operated, a resilient spring normally tending to operate said lever to throw said switch open, a rotatable cam mounted to cooperate with said lever at a point substantially opposite the said spring, said cam be.- ing adapted to control said lever to operate the same against pressure of said spring to close the switch; and ratchet means for op- 10 eratingsaid cam.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

. HENRY R. BIGKFORD. Witnesses:

j CARMEL MARTIN,

FRED A. TREAT. 

